The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-12-07
HOW TO MAKE CHEESE.
A Process That Can Be Acquired by Every
Farmers Wife and Daughter.

Farmers Wife and Daughter.
The process of cheese-making is g
very simple one, and all art easily &C.
quired. The use of a little judgment
and a little practice will enable the
farmers wife, daughter or son to be-
come quite proficient, and in many
cases to make a better cheese than is
made at the factories and if good
market is at hand, to sell it at a factory
price. The reason is obvious, the
farmer handles only his own milk and
can always make sure in regard to its
purity. He can always handle it in
the same manner and be sure that it is
we'll taken care of; while the factory
man has milk from scores of custom
ers, and there the greatest skill must
be exercised to make good product
from the mixture.
The requisites of farm cheese-making
are few and not costly. A boiler for
heating the milk, tub for setting the
curd, unless the boiler or vat is speci-
ally made for the purpose, Their
mometer (cost forty cents), and a
press which any farmer can make
comprises the necessary outfit
The average quantity of milk re-
quired for a pound of cheese is five
quarts. One hundred pounds of milk
will make IL ten pound cheese. The
milk, as it comes from the COW, is just
about the right temperature to make
cheese. If two milkings are used, the
nights milking should be cooled at
once and warmed in the morning.
Warm the whole mass of milk to a
temperature of about ninety degrees,
(some warm it 10 eighty-three de-
grees), and add the rennet. 1t is bet
ter to use the liquid rennets put up by
various firms than use the genuine
calf's stomach. The market prepare.
tons are always of the same strength,
and will give directions how much to
use to the one hundred pounds OF
milk. The rennet should be very care.
fully added. aud thoroughly mixed.
The curd should form in about half
an hour. When formed enough to cut,
if you have no curd knife, take any
long bladed knife and cut it into
squares of about one inch. When the
whey has separated, draw it off, gather
the curd on one side of the tub or tank
to drain. If you are using tub and
have no way of keeping the curd warm,
it may be necessary 10 heat the whey
to about ninety-6ve degrees and pour
it over the curd, and then draw off
again.
Let the curl stand for about all hour,
when it will have acquired slight
acidity. Now break it up fine with
the hands, adding at the same time
about one-third of an ounce of salt to
every pound of curd; four ounces Of
salt to one hundred pounds of milk is
a good proportion.
The curd is now ready for the hoop.
This should be of sheet-iron the size
desired for the cheese. A nice size for
farm cheese is eight inches in diameter
and ten inches deep. This will mako
a tcn-pound cheese. The bandage for
the cheese can be made and be placed |
inside the hoop before pressing. if de-
sired. Fill the hoop with the hand,
and press down firmly. The cheese is
now ready for the press, where it
should remain for twenty-four hours,
when it should be placed in the curing
'oom, which should he quite cool.
Turn every day for three or four weeks;
hen turn less frequently. 1t will be
'cady for mark et in about two months.
Most factories cure in a room kept at
evenly degrees, and market after two
" three weeks, but the quality of the
cheese is not so good.
am aware that [ have used MANY
abouts" in my description of the
process. The fact is there is no exact
ule, every good cheese-maker having
me OF his own; one must ascertain by
lis own experience just what he likes
,cSt - Farmer